Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, and Jung Ho-yeon attended the screening to watch the film with audiences from all over the world.
Invited to the competition section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, ‘Hope’ (directed by Na Hong-jin) had its official screening on the 17th at 9:30 PM (local time) at the Lumière Grand Theatre. Director Na Hong-jin and actors Hwang Jung-min, Jo In-sung, Jung Ho-yeon, Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell shared a special moment watching the film with a crowd of about 2,300 people.
Before the official screening, Director Na Hong-jin and the cast walked the red carpet, responding to the enthusiastic interest of international press and the cheers of fans with bright smiles and greetings.
As the screening began, the Lumière Grand Theatre was filled with intense tension. ‘Hope’ captivated the audience throughout its runtime with an extreme sense of immersion, blending shifting genre elements, an original story, powerful performances, and Director Na Hong-jin’s flawless mise-en-scène.
As soon as the film ended, a standing ovation and cheers lasted for approximately 7 minutes. Director Na Hong-jin shared his thoughts, saying, “I sincerely thank you for staying and watching for such a long time. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my colleagues, teams, and actors who have been with me for several years from the start until now, and I also thank the festival for inviting us once again.”
Following the World Premiere of ‘Hope’, praise poured in from major foreign media and film industry professionals. Pascal Gaby of Tribune de Genève noted, “It overwhelms other works in the competition section with the speed of a galloping wild horse. Not a single minute is wasted,” while Jonatan Itkonen of Region Free commented, “‘Hope’ is the boldest and most thrilling work ever realized on screen. You have to see it for yourself to believe it, and perhaps even that might not be enough.”
Additionally, André Geha of Diário de Pernambuco raised expectations, stating, “The film begins as a mystery and transforms in real-time into an overwhelming chase, unfolding increasingly massive and ambitious visuals block by block.”
‘Hope’ tells the story of Beom-seok (played by Hwang Jung-min), the head of the Hopo-hang office located in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), who encounters an unbelievable reality after hearing news from local youths about the appearance of a tiger. This is the first new work from Director Na Hong-jin in 10 years, following his previous films ‘The Chaser’, ‘The Yellow Sea’, and ‘The Wailing’.
Revealed at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, ‘Hope’ is scheduled to be released in theaters this summer.
